Save 70% on Electricity and See the Results with Smart USB-programmable Power Strip

The problem of phantom power -- the energy used by appliances doing nothing but standing by -- has earned a slew of solutions, of increasing sophistication. New to the list of options is CheckTap, which won the Grand Prix of the 2008 International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. CheckTap supports a USB link to your computer, so that the management of all peripherals can be optimized to the needs of the individual user. CheckTap also displays feedback on the amount of power used. So computer users can take some hints from hypermilers and experiment until they find the optimal efficiency for their workstation. A virtual tree grows on the CO2 savings and is displayed in the CheckTap program monitor, giving users rewarding visual feedback on the good they are doing.

The 70% savings claim is based on the difference between leaving all devices in standby versus controlling them with CheckTap. Whether an overall savings of 70% can be achieved remains to be seen, but the CheckTap will certainly be an advantage to people accustomed to having powered speakers, multiple monitors and other devices hooked up to their total-immersion computer environment or to people in the habit of falling asleep listening to their iTunes.

The CheckTap was invented by Mr. LEE Jeong-soo, from the Korean company Incasolution Ltd. To show how the CheckTap functions, the global importer has released the video below. CheckTap is available in an array of vibrant colors.